Semiconductor components, such as bare semiconductor dice, semiconductor packages, chip scale packages, BGA devices, and semiconductor wafers can include terminal contacts in the form of bumps. This type of component is sometimes referred to as a “bumped” component (e.g., bumped die, bumped package, bumped wafer).
FIGS. 1 and 1A illustrate a bumped semiconductor component which comprises a “flip chip” semiconductor package 10. The package 10 includes a semiconductor die 12, and an array of bumped contacts 14 bonded to a face 16 (circuit side) of the die 12. The bumped contacts 14 allow the package 10 to be surface mounted to a mating substrate, such as a printed circuit board (PCB). Typically, the bumped contacts 14 are made of solder, such that the package 10 can be bonded to the mating substrate using a solder reflow process. In addition, the bumped contacts 14 can be arranged in a dense array, such as a ball grid array (BGA), or a fine ball grid array (FBGA), to provide a high input/output capability for the package 10. Further, the bumped contacts 14 can have a spherical, hemispherical, conical, dome or other shape.
The die 12 contained in the package 10 includes a pattern of die contacts 20 (e.g., bond pads) in electrical communication with the bumped contacts 14. In addition, the die 12 includes internal conductors 22 in electrical communication with the die contacts 20, and with various semiconductor devices and integrated circuits formed on the die 12. The die 12 also includes a passivation layer 24 formed on the face 16 of the die 12, and openings 26 through the passivation layer 24 to the die contacts 20. Typically, the passivation layer 24 comprises a glass, such as borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), an oxide, such as SiO2, or a polymer, such as polyimide.
The die 12 also includes a redistribution circuit 32 formed on a surface 34 of the passivation layer 24, which interconnects the bumped contacts 14 to the die contacts 20. The redistribution circuit 32 includes a pattern of conductors 36 in electrical communication with the die contacts 20, and an outer passivation layer 38 which covers the conductors 36. The conductors 36 can have a “fan out” configuration to provide a required pitch and pattern for the bumped contacts 14.
Redistribution circuits are typically used in semiconductor manufacture to “fan out” the signals from standard wire bond pads, to pads of a dense area array, such as a ball grid array (BGA). In an ideal situation, the die 12 would be designed to have the die contacts 20 in a pattern that does not require the redistribution circuit 32 to be added. For example, a semiconductor manufacturer can design the die 12 and the die contacts 20 such that the die contacts 20 are already in a grid array, for attaching solder balls of a ball grid array (BGA). However, as this ideal situation does not always exist, redistribution circuits are widely used in semiconductor manufacture.
The outer passivation layer 38 of the redistribution circuit 32 insulates the conductors 36, and helps to locate the bumped contacts 14. In addition, the outer passivation layer 38 functions as a solder mask to prevent solder from flowing between the bumped contacts 14 during attachment of the bumped contacts 14, and during surface mounting of the package 10. The outer passivation layer 38 can comprise a dielectric material. Suitable materials for the outer passivation layer 36 include polymers such as polyimide, glasses, such as BPSG, or oxides, such as SiO2. The outer passivation layer 38 includes openings 40, and the bumped contacts 14 are located within the openings 40, and bonded to the conductors 36. As shown in FIG. 1B, the redistribution circuit 32 can also include an under bump metallization layer (UBM) 44, for each bumped contact 14 to facilitate bonding to the conductors 36.
For performing test procedures on the package 10 it is necessary to make temporary electrical connections with the bumped contacts 14. Different types of interconnects have been developed for making these temporary electrical connections.
One type of interconnect, typically used for testing components at the wafer level, is known as a “probe card”. Probe cards are typically utilized to test dice contained on a semiconductor wafer prior to dicing of the wafer into individual dice. Probe cards can also be used to test other semiconductor components, such as the packages 10 contained on a wafer, on a panel, or on leadframe.
A needle probe card includes contacts in the form of needle probes 42 (FIG. 1A) which are configured to electrically engage the bumped contacts 14. Another type of probe card, manufactured by Wentworth Labs of Brookfield, Conn., is known as a “COBRA” probe card, and includes contacts in the form of buckle beams. Another type of probe card, manufactured by Form Factor, of Elmsford N.Y. includes contacts in the form of wires shaped as spring segments. Still another type of probe card, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,161 to Akram et al., includes silicon contacts covered with a conductive layer.
In addition to probe cards, another type of interconnect is used to test singulated components. For example, for testing singulated components such as dice or packages, the interconnect can be contained within a carrier adapted to temporarily package one or more components. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,896,036; 5,844,418; and 5,878,485 to Wood et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,461 to Hembree; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,000 to Farnworth et al. describe carriers for singulated components.
With these carrier-type interconnects, the contacts can comprise projections configured to penetrate the bumped contacts 14, or alternately indentations configured to retain the bumped contacts 14. U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,161 to Akram et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,291 to Farnworth et al. describe this type of interconnect.
Regardless of the type of interconnect, problems can arise in making the temporary electrical connections with the bumped contacts 14. For example, bumped contacts 14 formed of a relatively soft material, such as solder, tend to produce flakes during testing. These flakes can contaminate the equipment used to conduct the test procedures. In addition, solder, and contaminants attracted to the solder, can build up on the interconnect contacts. This build up can increase electrical resistivity through the contacts, and adversely affect the test procedures. Needle probes 42 (FIG. 1A), for example, can only be used for several hundred touch downs on bumped contacts 14 formed of solder before they require cleaning.
Another problem during testing of bumped components, particularly with bumped contacts 14 formed of solder, is that the bumped contacts 14 deform easily during handling and testing, especially at elevated temperatures. For performing test procedures, it may be difficult to make low resistance electrical connections with deformed bumped contacts 14. Also for subsequent bonding procedures, the deformed bumped contacts 14 can make alignment and bonding of the component to a mating substrate more difficult. In addition, deformed bumped contacts 14 are a cosmetic problem that can adversely affect a users perception of a semiconductor component. Still further, the bumped contacts 14 can be separated from the component 10 during electrical engagement by the interconnect contacts.
In view of the foregoing problems associated with testing bumped semiconductor components, improved bumped semiconductor components capable of being more easily tested, are needed in the art. Also needed are improved test procedures and test systems for testing bumped semiconductor components.